Shri Alok Kumar is an IAS officer of 1984 batch of Assam-Meghalaya cadre. He is a Post-graduate in Geology from Patna University and MBA from UK. Presently, he is serving as Chief Secretary of Assam. Previously he has held several senior positions in the government including, Secretary of Central Vigilance Commission, country's top anti-corruption body and additional Secretary of NITI Aayog. He had served Assam Government as Additional Chief Secretary, Science & Technology Department, Information Technology Department and Public Works(Roads) Department before taking charge as Chief Secretary, Assam. He had also served as Director, Ministry of Finance & Company Affairs, CVO, Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas amongst other prestigious appointments.
CARRER PROFILE: A Post-graduate in Botany from Lucknow University, worked on Plant Viruses at National Botanical Research Institute before joining Indian Forest Service in 1986. Awarded M. Phil by Punjab University on 'Forestry & Climate Change'. Holds post graduate Diploma in Public Administration. Under Colombo Plan trained as a trainer at University of Edinburgh and completed advanced course in Participatory Planning from University of Wolverhampton, UK. Apart from holding important assignment with the Assam Forest Department, served Government of India as Faculty of Forestry, Director in the Ministry of Environment & Forest and As DIG Forestry Research & Training & Forest Protection. Designated as Country Focal Point for Forestry and Climate Change, Invasive Species Network and for the International Network for Bamboo & Rattan. Presently Posted as Special Principal Chief Conservator of Forest (Biodiversity & Climate Change), Assam. Married to Dr Ranjana Gupta, an Indian Forest Service Officer. Has a son working in finance management Company.
CAREER PROFILE: (Rtd.) Professor and Head department of Zoology, Gauhati University, Vice-President- Primate Research Centre; Member: IUCN-SSG Primate, International Ornithological Congress(IOC); Executive council – ASTEC, Research Advisory Council, Dept of Forest; Expert committee of the MEE of the PAs-GOI-MoEF; Executive Trustee-WTI; Ex-Member of TRAC (Training Research and Academic Council) WII, TPCG (Technical and Policy core group)-National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP) and Coordinator –NE states; Executive body SACON, State Coordinator of Inland wetland Survey–UNDP-SACON; Guided 20 – Ph.D students; completed 20 research projects; published 70 scientific papers and notes.
A Post-graduate in Botany, completed Ph. D. from Assam University . Presently, he is serving as Associate Professor in the Department of Ecology and Environmental Science, Assam University, Silchar. His Research interests are in Ethnobotany, Plant Taxonomy, Medicinal Plants, Natural Products, Higher plant Ecology, and Biodiversity Conservation. He has more than 15 years of research and teaching experiences . Dr. Das has published more than 64 Research papers in reputed journals and also Author of 3 Books. He completed two UGC sponsored projects as Principal Investigator. He is the Life member of reputed societies i.e. the Society of Ethno botanists, (Lucknow), PhytoTaxonomy, Indian Botanical Society, and Indian Fern Society (Patiala), the Centre for Research in Indigenous Knowledge, Science and Culture ( CRIKSC). He received the S.K. Jain Medal award in the year 2016. Apart from the above, he has developed Herbarium / House specimens and introduced a special paper entitled "Ethnobotany and Conservation of Medicinal plants" in the Department of Ecology & Environmental Science, Assam University.
Associate Professor & HoD, Department of Zoology, Handique Girls College, Guwahati.
Professor & HoD, Department of Life Sciences, Dibrugarh University.
Dr.Talukdar is a M.Sc. in Zoology with specialisation in Animal Ecology and Wildlife Biology and a Ph.D. working in the field of wildlife research and conservation since 1989. He was one of the founders of Aaranyak in 1989 and currently the Chief Executive Officer of Aaranyak. He is also the Chair of Asian Rhino Specialist Group of International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) since 2008. He is also the Asia Coordinator of International Rhino Foundation since June 2008. As a chair of Asian Rhino Specialist Group, he is responsible to prepare global status report of Asian Rhino Horn trades for the CITES. He has served as a member of the Standing committee of National Board of Wildlife during 2008-2010. He is currently a member of the State Board of Wildlife, Assam. He is a member of IUCN/SSC; African Rhino Specialist Group and IUCN Commission on Ecosystem Management. He also attended and successfully completed the training program on "Biodiversity Assessment and Monitoring for Adaptive Management" offered by the Smithsonian Institution of USA from May 14th- June 16th 2000 at the Smithsonian Conservation and Research Centre, Front Royal, Virginia, USA. He has published over 60 scientific papers in journal of national and international reputes.